Home Office

Framework Document for the Domestic Abuse Commissioner

Rachel Maclean: Tackling domestic abuse remains a key priority for this Government. Our landmark Domestic Abuse Act received Royal Assent in April of this year, setting the legal framework to provide further protections to the millions of people who experience domestic abuse, and strengthen measures to tackle perpetrators. A number of provisions of the Act have already come into force, including for the first time in history, a wide-ranging legal definition of domestic abuse which incorporates a range of abuses beyond physical violence, including  coercive or controlling behaviour, emotional and economic abuse. Today, further provisions have been implemented as we establish the Domestic Abuse Commissioner as a statutory office holder. As part of this, there is a requirement that the Secretary of State issue a statutory Framework Document that deals with matters relating to the Commissioner such as the functions, powers, governance, funding and staffing linked to the role. The document sets out in detail how the Home Office will work with the Commissioner, and outlines the relationship between the independent Commissioner and Government. The UK Government has worked closely with the Welsh Government to consider and develop the arrangements set out in the document. The Framework Document has been laid before Parliament today and is also available on GOV.UK.  Background The Designate Domestic Abuse Commissioner, Nicole Jacobs, was appointed on 18 September 2019 to ensure that the crucial work of the Commissioner could begin.The office of the Domestic Abuse Commissioner will provide public leadership on domestic abuse issues and play a key role in overseeing and monitoring the provision of domestic abuse services. The Commissioner will be responsible for encouraging good practice in preventing domestic abuse; identifying victims and survivors, including children, and perpetrators; and in the protection and provision of support to people affected by domestic abuse. The Commissioner will have the power and the duty to publish reports and must lay them before Parliament. Within the next year she must publish a report on the need and provision for certain domestic abuse services in England. These reports will hold local commissioners, statutory agencies and national Government to account and make recommendations on how they can improve their response. Specified public authorities will be under a duty to cooperate with the Commissioner, and they and Government Ministers will be required to respond to each recommendation made to them within 56 days. The Commissioner will operate in England and Wales but will consider only reserved matters in Wales, such as criminal justice. They will, however, be expected to work closely with the National Advisers for Violence Against Women, Gender-based Violence, Domestic Abuse and Sexual Violence in Wales. The statutory framework document also covers the Commissioner’s relationship with the UK Parliament and Senedd Cymru insofar as the activities of the Commissioner relate to devolved matters in Wales. The Domestic Abuse Act forms part of the action this Government is taking to transform our response to domestic abuse and violence against women and girls. In July we published a new cross-Government Tackling Violence Against Women and Girls Strategy, which commits to driving a step-change in the response to these crimes, with a whole system approach focusing on: prioritising prevention, supporting victims and pursuing perpetrators, underpinned by a stronger system. Later this year we will publish a complementary Domestic Abuse Strategy, which will further shift the dial towards preventing domestic abuse from happening in the first place through early intervention, increasing our focus on tackling perpetrators of abuse to reduce reoffending and reaffirming our commitment to supporting victims.

Istanbul Convention Ratification: 2021 Report on Progress

Rachel Maclean: The Government has today laid before Parliament and published the fifth annual report on the United Kingdom’s progress toward the ratification of the Council of Europe Convention on Combatting Violence Against Women and Domestic Violence (the “Istanbul Convention”). The UK signed the Istanbul Convention in 2012, signalling our strong commitment to tackling violence against women and girls (VAWG) and this Government remains committed to ratifying it. The report sets out the work undertaken by the UK Government and the Devolved Administrations to tackle VAWG since the 2020 Report on Progress, as well as the last remaining barriers to ratification. Our measures to protect women and girls from violence are already some of the most robust in the world, and in most respects, we comply with, or go further than the Convention requires. Since signing the Convention in 2012, we have significantly strengthened our legislative framework, introduced a range of new protective tools and issued new guidance for professionals to better protect victims. In July, we published our cross-Government Tackling Violence Against Women and Girls Strategy to help ensure that women and girls are safe everywhere – at home, at work, online and on the streets. This strategy will be followed by a complementary Domestic Abuse Strategy later this year. On 29 April 2021 we passed the landmark Domestic Abuse Act, which includes a package of measures to transform our response to domestic abuse. The Act includes the necessary legislative measures to ensure all parts of the UK are compliant with Article 44 of the Convention, which requires that criminal courts in the UK have extraterritorial jurisdiction over certain violent and sexual offences. On 29 June 2021 these provisions automatically came into force in England and Wales, and the corresponding provisions for Scotland were brought into force on the same day. Therefore, we have recorded these parts of the UK as compliant with Article 44 for the first time in this year’s report. In addition, on 1 March 2021 the Domestic Abuse and Civil Proceedings Act (Northern Ireland) 2021 became law. The Act creates a new domestic abuse offence which criminalises psychological violence in Northern Ireland, as required by Article 33 of the Convention, and contains provisions for extra-territorial jurisdiction for the new offence. I have received confirmation from Ministers in the Northern Ireland Executive that they expect to implement this new offence and the extraterritorial jurisdiction provisions in the Domestic Abuse Act 2021 by late February 2022. The issue of support for migrant victims of domestic abuse was raised by the Joint Committee on the Draft Domestic Abuse Bill in 2019 and we committed to undertake a review into the Government’s overall response to migrant victims of domestic abuse. On 3 July 2020 the findings from this review were published on gov.uk which found that a more detailed evidence base was needed to demonstrate which cohorts of migrant victims are likely to be most in need of support, the numbers involved and how well existing arrangements may address their needs. That is why the Government launched a £1.5 million Support for Migrant Victims (SMV) pilot scheme to address these evidence gaps, which will then enable us to take evidence-based decisions on how best to protect these victims in the long term. The scheme launched in April and is intended to run until 31st March 2022. We have therefore continued to recorded Articles 4(3) (to the extent that it relates to non-discrimination on the grounds of migrant or refugee status) and 59 as “under review” this year pending the evaluation and findings from the SMV scheme. The publication of this report fulfils the requirement of section 2 of the Preventing and Combating Violence Against Women and Domestic Violence (Ratification of Convention) Act 2017. I will lay before Parliament the report required by section 1 of that Act when our timescale for ratification is clear. Copies of the report will be published on the Government’s website at GOV.UK.

Shootings in Plymouth: Review of police firearms licensing processes

Kit Malthouse: On 12 August in Plymouth, Jake Davison shot and killed five people, wounded two others, and took his own life. In the debate on 18 August on these tragic events the Home Secretary announced that she had written to every police force in England, Wales, and Scotland asking them to review their firearms licensing processes. In particular, police forces were asked to review the processes followed for returning a firearms certificate, ensuring they are appropriate as set against the non-statutory Home Office guidance and firearms legislation, which asks Chief Officers to ensure high-risk decisions are approved at a sufficiently senior level. While Devon and Cornwall’s compliance with firearms licensing guidance is currently subject to both an independent peer review and a review by the Independent Office for Police Conduct, all other police forces confirmed that their procedures were in line with Home Office guidance. In addition, all police forces in England, Wales and Scotland provided data in relation to firearms and shotgun licensing decisions over the last 12 months. Collectively, a total of 6,434 firearms and shotgun licences were surrendered, seized, revoked or refused over the previous 12-month period across England, Wales and Scotland. Of these, a total of 908 licences were subsequently returned or issued following further checks or appeals decided by the courts. Further details are set out in the table below. Returns were also scrutinised by the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) firearms licensing lead.  Number of certificatesNumber of which subsequently returned Total6,434908 Seized1,563410Refused2939Revoked1,14627Surrendered3,432462Source: Data submitted by 43 England and Wales police forces and Police ScotlandNotes: Some police forces were unable to report separately on numbers of seizures and surrenders and grouped these categories together. Where this happened, the figures have been recorded in the category in which they were reported. As a result of this review of returned licences, in eight cases the original decision was overturned and licences have been re-surrendered or revoked. The findings set out above provide reassurance that the police have in place robust processes for issuing and reviewing firearms and shotgun licences. The new Statutory Guidance to Chief Officers of Police on firearms licensing, which was published on 20 October and comes in to force today, will help to further enhance safety checks and ensure greater consistency in licensing decisions taken by police forces. The guidance has been developed following extensive consultation with, and cooperation from, the British Medical Association (BMA) and the police, and both the BMA and NPCC have welcomed the new guidance. The Statutory Guidance makes it a requirement for information to be provided to the police about any relevant medical conditions, including mental health conditions. It also makes explicit that firearms’ applicants may be subject to open source social media checks as part of the licensing process, as well as interviews with associates, and checking to see if they have any previous record of domestic violence. The police will have a legal duty to have regard to the new statutory guidance. Ensuring that public safety is prioritised remains foremost in our approach to the processes for considering applications for legitimate firearms possession. The Statutory Guidance, and its implementation, will be kept under close review and further updated as necessary, including in the light of any lessons or recommendations arising from ongoing reviews of the terrible events in Plymouth.

Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office

UK National Report on the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons

James Cleverly: Today the UK published its National Report ahead of the Tenth Review Conference of the Parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT). This report reviews the progress that the UK has made against the NPT’s three pillars: disarmament, non-proliferation and the peaceful uses of nuclear energy. It will be submitted to the UN before the Tenth Review Conference that will take place in New York in January 2022.The UK’s commitment to the Treaty and to fulfilling our NPT obligations remains undiminished. As an original signatory of the NPT, and a Nuclear Weapon State that takes its responsibilities seriously, the UK remains committed to the long-term goal of a world without nuclear weapons where all states share in the peaceful uses of nuclear technologies.The NPT has been an unmitigated success for over 50 years. It is the centre of international efforts to stop the spread of nuclear weapons, to create a nuclear weapon-free world, and to enable access to the peaceful use of nuclear technology.Despite its successes, we should not underestimate the challenges facing the global nuclear order. We have previously identified risks to the UK from major nuclear armed states, emerging nuclear states and state-sponsored nuclear terrorism. Those risks have not gone away; some have increased. We face a deteriorating nuclear security environment. The increase in global competition, challenges to the international order, and the proliferation of nuclear weapons pose a significant challenge to strategic stability. We must work to reverse this trend. The NPT will be central to this and we must continue to work with others to reinforce the parts of the international architecture that are under threat. We must also shape the international order of the future so that it can respond effectively.We are proud of our contributions to the NPT and the steps we have taken since the last Review Conference in 2015.We have played a leading role by pioneering work in nuclear disarmament verification, championing transparency and advancing risk reduction. We continue to work closely with international partners, civil society and academia to enhance mutual trust and confidence and create the environment for further progress on disarmament. We continue to press for significant steps towards multilateral disarmament. This includes the entry into force of the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty, and successful negotiations on a Fissile Material Cut-Off Treaty in the Conference on Disarmament. We possess the smallest stockpile of any of the Nuclear Weapon States recognised by the NPT and are the only one to maintain a single delivery system. Maintaining the UK’s nuclear deterrent capability at a minimum credible level, taking into account the international environment, is fully consistent with our international legal obligations, including those under Article VI of the NPT.The UK continues to be a strong supporter of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), which underpins non-proliferation under the NPT. We have sought to strengthen the international nuclear safeguards system, through our diplomatic efforts and through direct assistance from our Nuclear Safeguards Programme. The Review Conference offers opportunities to encourage all states that have not yet done so to sign, ratify and implement safeguards agreements. We seek new opportunities to enhance the security of nuclear materials, ensuring these arrangements remain robust and evolve to meet new threats. We will promote the ratification of security conventions at the Review Conference and continue to provide direct assistance to other states through our Global Nuclear Security Programme.Finally yet importantly, we want to highlight the sometimes-overlooked part of the NPT: the peaceful uses of nuclear technologies. The UK has encouraged and will continue to encourage the development and exchange of peaceful nuclear technologies enabled by the NPT. This has a positive impact on people’s lives through nuclear medicine, food safety and pest control. Nuclear technologies have a critical part to play in tackling climate change – not only in helping to achieve Net Zero, but also through nuclear applications that can help countries to adapt and become more resilient to climate change.Looking towards the Tenth Review Conference, the UK seeks an outcome that strengthens the NPT as the irreplaceable foundation and framework for our common efforts on nuclear disarmament, non-proliferation and the peaceful uses of nuclear technology. The UK is ready to work with all countries to strengthen the regime and to promote international stability, peace and security.A copy of the report has been placed in the Libraries of both Houses and on the gov.uk website.

Department for Work and Pensions

Cold Weather Payments Scheme

Dr Thérèse Coffey: We are today announcing the outcome of this year’s Met Office review of the Cold Weather Payment scheme. The Department for Work and Pensions asks the Met Office to provide advice annually on whether the linkages between postcode areas and weather stations remain the best available. The postcode linkages take account of topography, the extent of built-up areas and the distance from available weather stations. Each postcode area is assigned to a station with the most similar climate in terms of mean winter temperature. Therefore, the assigned station is not necessarily the nearest one. Where necessary, we make changes annually to ensure that postcodes are linked to the most appropriate weather station for the purposes of administering Cold Weather Payments.   For the 2021/22 season, the changes to weather station and postcode linkages are as follows:The PH12 postcode will move from Leuchars to Strathallan weather station.Due to the closure of the weather station at South Farnborough, the following postcodes will move to Odiham: GU1-4, GU7-12, GU14-35, GU46-47, GU51-52, RG1-2, RG4-8, RG10, RG12, RG14, RG18-27, RG29-31, RG40-42, RG45, SL1-2, SL4-6 and SO24.Due to the closure of Bedford weather station, the following postcodes will move to Wittering: NN14-16; and the following postcodes will move to Stowe weather station: NN1-7, NN11-13 and MK18.